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I am new to linux and mint. What is the usual practice in regard to update of programs by most people? Do they usually wait until the updates are in the Software Center of Mint to do updates? Is there any problem with updating ahead of the time the update would be in the Software Center?

I am new to linux and mint. What is the usual practice in regard to update of programs by most people? Do they usually wait until the updates are in the Software Center of Mint to do updates? Is there any problem with updating ahead of the time the update would be in the Software Center?

I am new myself but I usually wait until they appear in the system as available. You may need to talk to someone more experienced about any potential issues arising from updates.

Cosmo. wrote:I do not say, that you shall not update. But you shall do it with the update manager.

Yes, that is true, but the difference in the versions available was significant. That would seem to open a security threat/hole. But as I said previously, I do not understand Linux, so I could be off true.

Cosmo. wrote:I do not say, that you shall not update. But you shall do it with the update manager.

Yes, that is true, but the difference in the versions available was significant. That would seem to open a security threat/hole. But as I said previously, I do not understand Linux, so I could be off true.

You don't need to worry about having an older version of Libre Office. Security fixes are being backported into that older version, during the supported lifetime of your Linux Mint version.

Which means: although the LO version in the official repositories is relatively old, it's still secure.

Cosmo. wrote:I do not say, that you shall not update. But you shall do it with the update manager.

Yes, that is true, but the difference in the versions available was significant. That would seem to open a security threat/hole. But as I said previously, I do not understand Linux, so I could be off true.

You don't need to worry about having an older version of Libre Office. Security fixes are being backported into that older version, during the supported lifetime of your Linux Mint version.

Which means: although the LO version in the official repositories is relatively old, it's still secure.

Pjotr wrote:You don't need to worry about having an older version of Libre Office. Security fixes are being backported into that older version, during the supported lifetime of your Linux Mint version.

I would not pay only a half cent for this. In Mint 17.3 the latest offered version is LO 5.0.3. Heaven knows, when this has been lastly updated, trying to open the change log from synaptic only gives, that the change log cannot be found.

We have seen repeatedly far too late (partially for months) updates to apply available security fixes also in other cases, where those fixes are even more critical, like Firefox and Thunderbird. And here we do not even talk about backports, but about very current versions.

So no, as far as it goes about applications my trust in the maintenance of the official repositories is near to zero.

Pjotr wrote:You don't need to worry about having an older version of Libre Office. Security fixes are being backported into that older version, during the supported lifetime of your Linux Mint version.

I would not pay only a half cent for this. In Mint 17.3 the latest offered version is LO 5.0.3. Heaven knows, when this has been lastly updated, trying to open the change log from synaptic only gives, that the change log cannot be found.

First the cases of missing updates for FF and TB, where the failure of the repo maintainers are out of a question.

Second: LO 5.0.3 was in the middle of the development of the 5.0.x branch. Not even the from LO developers themselves offered updates hade been applied for the half of the live time.

Besides that: "can not judge" means in other words: The promise to backport critical fixes is something, where nobody can give a proof. It means, that the user has to rely the security only a doubtful promise. This is the death of security.